The photo shoot
by CrazyShadowmoon
Summary: Adrien invited Marinette to attend his next photo shoot. However, they will be surprised by an unexpected situation during this shoot. How will they react? - Adrinette - This is a translation of my fanfic "La scéance photo". English is only my second language so I used a translator and I corrected and modified it with my boyfriend. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

"Spots off!"

.

Marinette collapsed on her bed, Tikki by her side. They were exhausted from the last fight.

.

"Phew! Paris almost got destroyed by this completely insane akumatized person!" sighed the girl.  
"Yes, but you were smarter than him!" replied the kwami with a smile.  
"That's right. I must admit that I would never have been able to do it without Cat Noir this time."

.

Tikki answered only with a smile, her mouth full of cookies. Marinette changed into her pyjamas and fell asleep in a matter of seconds. Fortunately, tomorrow was Saturday so she could sleep as much as she wanted.

.

* * *

.

Marinette was woken up by the sound of a text message on her cell phone. She opened her eyes but changed her mind as soon as the sun rays hit her face. She quickly covered her face with her pillow and groaned.

.

"Why is Alya texting me so early... It's Saturday!"she complained.

.

She heard another text message. Marinette stretched her arm towards her bedside table and knocked a lot of stuff down while trying to grab her phone. She pulled her blankets over her head and looked at the screen.

.

_A- Hello Marinette!  
A- I hope you didn't forget the photo shoot this morning. If you still want to come with me, of course._

_._

"Oh my God, it's Adrien!" she shouted, startling her kwami awake. "I had completely forgotten that he had asked me to go with him to his photo shoot today! But how could I forget that?"

.

_M- Hello Adrien! Of course I still want to go!  
A- Great! :) Did I wake you up?  
M- Oh no, not at all! I was sitting in my bed, __lol__.  
A-__ Lucky! Nathalie __woke__ me up early so I could get ready. I would have __slept more__!  
M- I __can imagine__...__  
A- You know, I'm really glad you__ agreed to come. It'll be so much more fun with a friend! It's often really long and boring...  
M- I'__m really looking forward to it__!  
M- By the way, __at __what time is it again?  
A- The __shoot__ starts __at 9:30 so we'll pick you up at 9:00. Is that okay with you?_

_._

The girl looked at the time.  
"What? It's already 8:25! Oh, my God... I have to hurry! I can't meet Adrien like that! Tikki, look at my hair! And what am I going to wear?" The kwami let out a little laughter at her friend's jitteriness.

.

_M- Yes, that's fine with me, I'll wait for you __at __the bakery.  
A- __Alright__! See you later Marinette!  
M- Yes, see you soon!_

_._

The teenager caught her feet in her blanket trying to get out of her bed and fell flat on the floor. She got up and rushed into the shower. She washed quickly and came out in a hurry. She sat in front of her mirror and quickly dried and did her hair. She frantically searched her closet for the best outfit.

.

"Ah Tikki, he'll be here in 10 minutes and I'm still in my underwear! But what am I going to wear?" said the almost hysterical girl.  
"Relax, Marinette." said her friend. "Simply choose something comfortable that you love!"

.

The teenager finally chose a small pink sun dress with a white flower pattern, which she put on with a white jacket with three-quarter sleeves and a pair of sandals of the same color. Tikki slipped into her handbag and Marinette rushed down the stairs that connected the apartment to the bakery. She greeted her parents while catching a croissant which she rapidly devoured.

.

She went outside just as a black car parked in front of the store. The rear door opened and Adrien stepped out, smiling. Marinette blushed. He was so gorgeous!

.

"Hello Marinette!" said the teenager, who waved at her.  
"H-hello Adrien!" she replied as she approached. She slipped into the back seat and the young man sat beside her.  
"So, do you want me to explain how the shoot is going to be like?" he says, turning his green gaze at his friend.  
"Y-yes, please." replied the girl.  
"It'll be in a studio since it's an indoor photo shoot for a magazine. This means being stuck between four walls, with lighting that makes you sweat, in front of an inflexible photographer who will probably make me do each pose at least 20 times." he said with a sigh. "But with you, it will be much more pleasant." He winked at her.  
"Oh yes! I'll be happy to keep you! Uh... I mean, to keep you company!"

.

Adrien laughs at his friend's Freudian slip. They arrived at the studio and Nathalie guided them inside. They entered a large room with a set and projectors. In the centre of the set was a burgundy leather sofa. They followed the assistant to an adjacent room, where the young model could change, get his hair and make-up done.

.

"You can come in, Marinette." said the blond man. "Anyway, I'll go change behind the curtain over there." he said, pointing at the back of the room, grinning.

.

The girl blushed at the thought of Adrien undressing. She felt like it was suddenly hot in there. She sat on a chair while the young man went behind the curtain. She couldn't help but stare briefly, jumping each time she saw the fabric move. Adrien stepped out from behind the curtain, dressed in white. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, showing bits of his skin. Marinette swallowed with difficulty, staring at her friend.

.

"So, how do I look?" he says, smiling shyly.  
"Uh... You... You... You're wonderful! Uh, that's wonderful. Ah... It suits you very well. "she finally said.

.

The young man laughed and sat down. A hairdresser was busy placing his blond hair while a make-up artist was in charge of making his skin look flawless. The two teenagers discussed during this time, then returned to the room where the photo shoot would take place.

.

Adrien sat down on the leather sofa and followed the photographer's instructions. He posed, smiled, re-positioned himself, and did that over and over until the man behind the lens was satisfied. Marinette didn't waste a second of it, smiling at her friend or showing him a thumbs-up to encourage him.

.

"Adrien, I see that you are more authentic when you look at the girl over there." said the photographer. "She should come with you more often. But hold on, why wouldn't she join you for a few pictures?"

.

Marinette jumped. What? Her, in a photo shoot? With Adrien? She suddenly felt very nervous.

.

"She won't even have to change. What she's wearing will be perfect. Nathalie! Take the girl to get her hair and make-up done!"

.

The hesitant teenager followed Nathalie and sat in the chair she was pointing at. Adrien soon joined her.  
"Whew, it feels good to have a break!" he said. "I'm glad you agreed to pose with me, Marinette."  
"I... I don't really know how to do that..." she replied. Adrien laughed.  
"Don't worry about it. All you have to do is follow the photographer's instructions. As long as you don't fall off the sofa, you should be fine!" he said, winking at her.

.

Marinette blushed, to the great displeasure of the make-up artist who was applying foundation cream on her face. When she was ready, she turned towards Adrien who was speechless. He had never noticed how pretty his friend was. Her makeup was very natural and enhanced her features. Her hair, left loose, framed her soft face. The girl looked down and blushed more beautifully as she felt the boy's gaze on her. Adrien let out a little nervous laughter and shuffled his blond hair.  
"Come on, l-let's get going, Marinette."

.

They returned to the studio and waited for the photographer's instructions.  
"Finally, there you are!" said the man, irritated. "Adrien, sit on the left side of the sofa. Miss, you'll sit to his right." They did as they were told.

.

"Come closer! Yes, just like that. Now, look into each other's eyes." the photographer continued.  
Marinette hesitated to look into Adrien's green eyes. She looked up slowly, feeling her heart pounding. She barely heard the sound of the camera.

.

"Now, be in love!" The two teenagers laughed nervously. "Adrien, place your hand on your partner's cheek. There you go. Put your other hand on her knee. Miss, put your hand on his. Yes, perfect!" shouted the man behind the lens.

.

Marinette felt like she was about to faint. There was such intensity in Adrien's eyes! She was very aware of the warmth of his hand on her skin. She jumped when the photographer spoke again.

.

"Perfect, this is beautiful! Now, one last series of shots, and it's over. Adrien, stay seated where you are and Miss, sit on his lap, your legs a little on the side."The girl stiffened. She approached her friend, trembling. Adrien encouraged her with a smile. She saw the redness on his cheeks. She sat down slowly.

.

"There you go. What's taking you so long?" laughed the photographer. "Okay, now Adrien, put your arms around her. Be protective of her! And you, put your head against his shoulder, one hand on his chest. Adrien, put your chin on her head. Good. Close your eyes."

.

Marinette could feel Adrien's heart pounding under her hand. She breathed in his scent, while enjoying every second of this embrace, even if it was only for the camera. Her head was spinning, a bit like when they were at Chloe's party, after Alya decided they should be closer as they danced.

.

Once the shoot was over, they returned to the dressing room to remove their make-up and change their clothes. They remained silent, a little embarrassed by what had just happened. Marinette, floating on her cloud, was brought back to earth by the voice of her friend.  
"Thank you very much Marinette... And... I hope you weren't too uncomfortable... I... I didn't know what the photographer had in mind." he said, nervously rubbing his neck.  
"N-No, I'm fine!" she replied in a higher tone than intended. "I-I liked being on top of you. No! I mean... Posing for you... With you!"

.

The girl hid her face in her hands, embarrassed. Why couldn't she make a proper sentence when she was talking to him? She lifted her head up when she felt a hand on her shoulder and melted in front of Adrien's radiant smile.  
"Thank you for being here, really." he said.

.

A little later, Marinette was back in her room. She twirled and dropped down on her bed. Tikki flew by her side.  
"Ah Tikki! What a day it was!" sighed the girl. "I don't think I'll ever wash my dress again!"  
The kwami laughed. "You two were really cute together!" she said, giggling.  
"W-what? Were you watching us? But someone could have seen you!" Marinette replied.  
"Don't worry, I was very well hidden. You guys would really make a great couple!"

.

The girl threw a pillow at her friend who easily dodged it. Both laughed. Marinette grabbed her cellphone and invited Alya over so that she could share every detail of her day. Her best friend would never forgive her she did not tell her everything!


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien was sitting at his piano, practising a difficult piece of music. Plagg was flying around him, a piece of camembert between his paws. For the umpteenth time, the boy made a mistake on a part.

.

"Arg!" he said ragingly." I have no difficulty with this part usually. I can't concentrate..."  
"Maybe it's because you have a pretty girl with black hair on your mind?" replied the kwami, mockingly.  
"Plagg, how many times do I have to tell you? My heart belongs to Ladybug and to her only." replied the young man.  
"Yeah, right..." he said with a grin, before flying to his cheese supply.

.

Adrien played the part again and made the same mistake. He sighed. Suddenly his cell phone rang.

.

"Hello?" said the blond man as he took the call.  
"Hey dude!" Nino replied. "Say, are you allowed to go out tonight? "  
Adrien sighed. "I don't know. Why?"  
"Me and the girls are going to have a picnic. Why don't you come with us?"  
"I'll ask. Anyway, I'll probably eat alone at a big empty table, as usual..." he said, with a sad look. "I'll text you as soon as I get the answer."  
"Awesome! Later!"

.

Adrien stretched his arms, then left his room to try to find his father's assistant. He met her by the front door.

.

"Hello Nathalie." he said.  
"Hello Adrien. Are you done practising your piano?"  
"Yes. Actually, I wanted to ask you if my father is available. I have to ask him something. »  
"He's busy. He'll be able to see you around 9:00 pm."

.

Nathalie noticed the young man's sad look.  
"He asked me to tell you not to wait for him for dinner."  
"And I guess he said I should stay home as well..." Adrien whispered.  
"No, he didn't mention anything like that."  
"So I could go out and meet some friends?" he asked, full of hope.  
"I don't see a problem with that." replied the woman. "But be back by 8:30 pm."  
"Thank you very much, Nathalie."

.

Adrien rushed into his room and grabbed his phone to send a message to his best friend.

.

_A- Hey Nino!  
N- Yo! So, __dude__, __can you __come __with us__?  
A- Yes! Where do we meet?  
N- At Marinette's parents' bakery, in an hour. She prepared the meal with her father and we have to help her carry all this.  
A- All right! I'll ask my bodyguard to take me there.  
N- __See you__!  
__A- __See you later!_

.

Adrien laid down on his bed and began to daydream, smiling. Plagg, who had just woken up from his post-camembert nap, approached.  
"Why are you smiling like that?" he asked.  
"What?" replied the blond man, suddenly pulled from his thoughts.  
"You look like your head is in the clouds."

The young man did not answer. He pointed at the pocket of his jacket, letting his kwami know that he was about to leave. Plagg slipped into his hiding place and Adrien left. 

.

* * *

.

The black car parked in front of the bakery. Adrien got off and went in through the open front door. Mr. Dupain was serving a client. When he finished, he greeted the young man. Marinette came down at the same moment. She was staring at her phone, so she didn't see that her father was standing in front of her. She ran straight into him and fell backwards. Tom helped her to her feet, laughing at how clumsy his daughter was. She looked up and saw her friend smiling and blushed.

.

"Oh Adrien! Y-you're here already?" she said.  
"Good evening, Marinette. I'm a little early, but I was looking forward to hanging out with you guys." he replied.  
"About that... Alya just sent me a text message. There's been a misunderstanding and she has to stay home to babysit the twins. And Nino will keep her company..."

.

The young man's smile faded.  
"So, the picnic is cancelled?" he said, disappointed.  
"Uh... Actually... since you're here... and the food's ready... We could go... together?" she replied, blushing.

.

The blond man's eyes lit up. His cheeks turned pink when he realized he would be alone with Marinette. _But why am I s__uddenly embarrassed?_ He thought. _Marinette is my friend, I shouldn't feel __that way__... _He looked at her. When their eyes met, he felt a strange tingling in his stomach. _I... really like her, but I don't have feelings like that for her... don't I?_

.

"S-sure!" Adrien replied, nervously passing a hand through his blond hair. "So where are we going?"  
"There's a new park a few blocks from here. That's where we were supposed to go with Alya and Nino. We could go there?" she said.  
"Yes, good idea!"

.

At the same time, they wanted to grab the basket of provisions that was sitting on the counter. Adrien accidentally put his hand on top of Marinette's hand. The two teenagers jumped and pulled their hands away. This did not go unnoticed for Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, who drew a sweet smile. The young man took the basket and they walked out.

.  
Once they arrived at the park, they chose a spot in the shade of a large oak tree. Adrien set up the blanket while Marinette was taking out the meal. They sat down facing each other. The young man rushed to serve his friend, before serving himself. The teenager smiled at him.  
"Thank you, that's nice."

.

Adrien took a bite of a ham and cheese baguette. In his pocket, Plagg's mouth was watering.  
"It's really delicious, Marinette." he said.  
"Oh it's not really that complicated!" she replied.

.

The two friends chatted while eating. Marinette was surprised not to stutter. They had a good time. After the meal, they put the plates away and Adrien laid down on his back, his arms crossed behind his head. He timidly patted the blanket next to him, inviting the girl to lay down with him. She laid down slowly next to him, her heart pounding. The young man looked at the clouds, thinking.  
"You know..." he said. "It's been a really long time since I've had such a nice dinner..." He suddenly looked sad. "Since... since my mother's death, actually."

.

Marinette turned to her friend. Her heart was broken when she saw the sadness on his face.  
"I'm sorry. It... must be hard for you..."  
"My father... he's often far too busy. So most of the time, I eat alone. I'm tired of the loneliness..."

.

The girl put one hand on her friend's shoulder.  
"If you want... you can come and eat at my place, from time to time, after school. My parents have always been welcoming with my friends. We could... study together afterwards."

.

Adrien placed his hand on top of hers. He lifted himself up on his elbow and looked into the girl's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.  
"You... you can't imagine how your offer warms my heart..." said the blond, with a slightly hoarse voice.  
"It's nothing!" declared Marinette.  
"Yes, it means a lot for me. You know the expression to be alone in the middle of a crowd? That's almost always how I feel... I..."

.

Adrien looked down and gently shook his head, blond streaks stroking his forehead. He would like this moment to never end. Not having to go home, to this cold hearted house, dealing with his crazy schedule... He never had a normal childhood. He felt that he was only beginning to see what real life was.

.

He slowly pulled his hand away from his friend's hand and stood back up. Marinette did the same. The young man smiled at her.  
"Sorry, maybe I opened up a little too much..." he said.  
"Don't be. I'll always be there if you need to talk." replied the girl.  
"Thank you very much, Marinette... I have to go, my bodyguard is waiting for me."

.

He left the park and got to the black car. He waved at his friend before rushing into the backseat.

.

* * *

.

Back home, Marinette went up to her room.  
"My God, Tikki, I didn't think he was so lonely..." she told her kwami.  
"Yes... It's really sad. But I felt that your presence was good for him today. And you were able to have a whole conversation without losing your composure!" replied the creature, winking.

.

That evening, Adrien fell asleep peacefully, which happened too rarely. He felt serene when he was with Marinette. There was something special about her. A kind of gentleness, a natural kindness. Tonight, he felt like there was a connection between them. He couldn't really explain why. He surprised himself by wanting to see her more often. What if... What if Plagg was right? 


	3. Chapter 3

"Miraculous, ladybug!"

.

The magic of the ladybugs erased the damage caused by the akumatized person which the two heroes had just released from Hawkmoth's control.

.

"Well done, my lady!" said Cat Noir as he presented his fist to his partner. Ladybug smiled at him and bumped her fist against his.  
"Thank you for being a feline shield for me, chaton." she said.  
"I'm happy you think that I was purrfect, dear Ladybug! I would never let a villain touch a single one of your spots." cooed the cat.  
"Stop your nonsense, Cat Noir."

.

Their miraculouses beeped at the same time. They waved at each other and left. Ladybug landed in a deserted alley and detransform. She looked at the time on her phone.  
"Oh no, I'm going to be late again!" shouted Marinette. "Lunchtime ends in less than 10 minutes!"

.

She ran as fast as she could until she reached the school, where she rushed inside. She did not see Adrien standing near the entrance and she hit him head-on. The two teenagers fell over in a shower of papers.  
"I'm really sorry!" blurted Marinette. "I didn't see you... A-Adrien?!"

.

The girl blushed brightly.  
"Oh, my God! I hope I didn't hurt you!" she cried, still sitting on the floor.

.

Adrien, who was already on his feet, reached out to her. She grabbed his hand and he helped her up.  
"Don't worry, Marinette. It's all right. Are you okay?" asked the boy.  
"Y-yes! Hold on, I'll pick up our stuff!" she replied, picking up the mess caused by her clumsiness.

.

"Good timing, it just so happens that I wanted to talk to you." continued the young man, who nervously passed a hand behind his neck. "Nathalie just told me that my photo shoot tonight was postponed and... I was wondering if... well, if you agree... I wanted to know if your invitation for dinner still stands..."

.

Marinette froze and looked at her friend.  
"Um, yes, of course!" she said. "But I just have to check in with my parents. I'll call them during break."  
"Perfect, I'll be waiting to hear from you."

.

They went to their class. Marinette was not paying attention at all, eager to call her parents. Having Adrien over for dinner at home tonight! She couldn't have hoped for more. The bell finally rang for the break. The girl spoke to her mother who accepted without hesitation.

.

Marinette caught up with Adrien.  
"It'll be okay for tonight! Do you want to walk home together or will you join us later?" she asked.  
"I'm free right after school. We could take a detour through the park before we go to your place, if you'd like." he replied.  
"Y-yes, awesome!"

.

The rest of the afternoon seemed far to long. Marinette had her head in the clouds. Alya even had to elbow her, after Mrs. Bustier asked her a question twice without her hearing it.

.

When the bell finally rang at the end of the day, Adrien met up with Marinette at her locker. She jumped when she saw him as she closed the door. They took the path towards the park and discussed this and that. The sun was shining and the weather was nice. At one point, their arms accidentally brushed against each other. She shivered when she felt this and hoped that her friend didn't notice anything.

.

They arrived at the girl's house and sat at the table with her parents. Adrien felt almost like a member of the Dupain-Cheng family as Marinette's parents were so warm to him. It was lively around the table, between the dishes that were passed around and the conversations that were going well. The young man's face was lit with a huge smile.

.

After the meal, they went up to the girl's room. They decided to sit on the balcony to study. They had to study for a test the next day so they took turns asking questions. They finished pretty quickly.

.

Marinette had placed several cushions in a covered corner of the balcony. They decided to sit there. Adrien was feeling nervous. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he felt more than friendship for her. He felt so good by her side! He thought that his heart belonged only to Ladybug, but he was no longer so sure. Also, his lady had made it clear to him that she was interested in someone else...

.

The young man didn't know if he should talk about what was going on inside him... After all, the young lady hadn't left his thoughts since that famous photo shoot. Even last night, he had dreamt that he was kissing her and when he woke up, he found himself disappointed that it wasn't real.

.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Marinette.  
"You're very quiet... Is everything all right?" asked the girl.  
"Y-yes... I... I've been easily distracted for some time, that's all..." he replied.

.

The young man's heart pounded as he turned towards his friend. Their eyes met. Marinette blushed brightly.  
"Marinette..." Adrien briefly closed his eyes to give himself courage. "I wanted to tell you that... with you... I really feel... good. I... I..."

.

The girl wondered if she was dreaming. Her heart was beating so fast that she feared her friend would hear it. She saw in his green eyes, a deep glow, like she had never seen before.

.

Adrien leaned towards Marinette very slowly, never looking away. It was as if an invisible force was drawing him to her. Should he...? Was it the right thing to do? His eyes glanced at the girl's red lips, before diving back into the ocean of blue in her eyes. If he did, he'd know if that's really what he wanted... wouldn't he?

.

When the blond man's face was only a few centimetres from hers, Marinette thought she was about to faint. Was he going to... She couldn't finish her thought because warm lips met hers. They were both surprised and backed away slightly, blushing.

.

Then Adrien timidly put his arms around the girl's waist, gently drawing her towards him. He kissed her again, certain that this was what they both wanted. She put her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss, her fingers getting tangled in his blond hair.

.

After a moment, they looked at each other and laughed nervously. Marinette rested her head on the young man's shoulder and closed her eyes. He sighed happily, his face lit with a sweet smile. They stood like this, without speaking, seizing the moment in each other's arms, as if time had stopped. 


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette was sitting in her room, lost in her thoughts, smiling blissfully. She couldn't believe that all of this was real. Adrien, her crush of the last two years, had kissed her an hour earlier! And he was such a good kisser! She felt as if she was electrified, all her senses awakened.

She was pulled out of her reverie by someone knocking on the hatch leading to her room.  
"Come in!"she said.

Alya climbed up and jumped on the bed next to Marinette. She was grinning while staring at her with the same look she had when she was on the track of a scoop.  
"What?" cried Marinette.  
"Tell me everything! Don't forget any details!" said her friend.  
"What are you talking about?" replied the girl, looking innocent.

Alya laughed.  
"Did you see your face? You look like you're miles away and you have a stupid smile on your face. I'm sure you had a great time with Adrien. Sooo?" she begged.

Marinette blushed.  
"Well... Uh, yes, we had a good time. We ate, we studied, we talked, we laughed. I even managed to make complete sentences without stuttering, can you believe it?" The girl laughed nervously.  
"Quite an achievement!" her best friend replied. "But why do I feel like you're hiding something from me, hmm?"

The jet-haired teenager blushed even more. Alya was determined to draw it out of her.  
"Come on! Tell me about it!"  
"Okay... Um... He... He... He kissed me..." she said in a small voice.  
"What?!" cried her friend. "I knew it! I knew it! Haha! Did you pass out? Did you bite his tongue?" she continued, winking.  
"Alya! Who do you think I am?" Marinette reacted.  
"You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the most clumsy girl in school, who usually loses her abilities to think, speak and walk in front of Adrien Agreste." she replied.  
"Alya!"  
"I'm kidding! So, how was it?"

Marinette sighed, looking at her friend with dreamy eyes.  
"It was... It was magical. His warmth... His eyes... His lips... I've been dreaming of that for so long! I can't believe I'm not dreaming..."

Since Alya was spending the night at her friend's house, the two teenagers talked until the wee hours of the morning. 

* * *

.  
It was Monday and Adrien was on his way to school. He hadn't seen Marinette since Friday, the night he kissed her without thinking. Oh but he didn't regret it at all! In fact, he had been thinking about it all weekend, which distracted him during his Chinese and fencing lessons.

He blushed remembering that evening. He was pulled out of his reverie by his bodyguard clearing his throat. He didn't notice that the car had stopped in front of the school. He laughed shyly and got out of the car.

As he walked towards the entrance, a thought came to his mind. How was he supposed to act towards Marinette at school? Like nothing happened? Or should they reveal their blooming relationship in front of all their classmates? Too often he realized how much he was unaware of many aspects of social life, having been locked in a cocoon created by his father most of his childhood.

He saw her gathering her books from her locker. He felt his heart pounding, wanting to be by her side. He walked up to her. When she saw him, the girl blushed.  
"Hello, Marinette." he said softly.  
"Hello Adrien." she replied with a smile.

Without thinking, he leaned down and kissed her. She dropped the book she was holding. He laughed and picked it up. Without saying a word, he took her hand and kissed her knuckles, before heading for the first class of the morning. He couldn't help it. He couldn't pretend that nothing happened.

As they arrived in the classroom, hand in hand, the incessant buzzing of voices suddenly stopped. All eyes turned to them, incredulous. Suddenly, someone screamed.

"What? MY Adrikins with this... with Dupain-Cheng? This is a nightmare!" cried Chloe.  
She rushed out, pushing the young couple out of her way. Sabrina went after her.

Adrien's eyes followed Chloé. He was worried. He knew she would react, but not as much. She was his friend and he didn't want to hurt her feelings. It was clarified a long time ago, or so he thought, that there would be nothing more than friendship between them. Also, he couldn't stand it when the blonde was mean to Marinette. He really should talk to her later.

The couple reluctantly separated and went back to their respective seats. Adrien noticed that Nino was staring at him, open-mouthed.  
"Wow, dude! You didn't tell me that you and Marinette..." said the DJ.  
"Yes... I mean, it's all new that..." He stopped and turned to look at Marinette, who smiled and blushed. "...that I have a...girlfriend." he replied, blushing.

.

.

The week passed without incidents. The other students in the class were getting used to the fact that Adrien and Marinette were now a thing and they no longer felt the need to stare.

Adrien had spoken to Chloé and although she was still a pest, she seemed to have forgotten Marinette's existence, totally ignoring her. The latter was relieved to finally escape the blonde's awful comments.

Sabine and Tom, aware of the blooming relationship between their daughter and Adrien, invited the young man for dinner on Saturday evening. They were impatient to celebrate it and wanted to mark this milestone in their daughter's life. Tom, who was an endless romantic and who always did a little (a lot) too much, had concocted a real feast.

Adrien arrived and Marinette greeted him, a little uncomfortable in front of her parents who stared at them, smiling. Adrien was not surprised by the enthusiasm of Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, having already experienced it as Chat noir, before Tom was akumatised and transformed in Waredad.

The four of them sat at the table and Adrien put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, sighing with satisfaction. He felt so good in this family! He planned to visit often, to escape the coldness and loneliness of his house. Besides, he never had enough of Marinette.

After the meal, the two teenagers went up to the girl's room. They laid on the bed, cuddling, their bodies tangled. Marinette was looking at her boyfriend's face, wondering if all this was a dream. She caressed his features with her fingertips, slowly memorizing each curve, each angle of his soft face. Adrien had his eyes closed, relaxed. He jumped slightly when the girls' lips tasted his own. He kissed her back, then looked at her, grinning.

"What?" she asked.  
The young man did not answer, and suddenly started to tickle her. Marinette let out a high-pitched scream before squirming in an attempt to escape her boyfriend's grip.

After a few minutes of fighting and laughing, Marinette fell off of her bed.  
"Are you all right, Marinette?" Adrien asked, who had suddenly stopped laughing.

The latter grabbed the young man's arm and pulled. He also fell down from the bed and landed next to her. She laughed at his expression of surprise. He then repositioned himself, now above his girlfriend, his hands on each side of her head, and kissed her passionately. Marinette's head was spinning. Their breathing became more jerky and their moves, more frantic.

Suddenly, Marinette heard someone opening the hatch leading to her room. She pushed Adrien back a little too forcefully and he fell back to her side. It was Sabine who came in to bring them a late night snack. They laughed nervously as they tried to regain composure.

When it was time for Adrien to go back home, Marinette walked him to the door of the bakery. They hugged and wished each other good night.

Marinette went back up to her room. Tikki, who had remained hidden on the balcony, landed on her friend's shoulder. Her holder told her about her evening and they discussed the possibility of maybe revealing to Adrien that she was Ladybug. Something deep inside of her told her that he should know the truth one day. But not now. It wasn't the right time yet. Adrien was having the exact same conversation with his kwami. They both knew that they could not always excuse their tardiness and rushed absences without misunderstandings...

That evening, the two teenagers fell asleep thinking about their relationship and how lucky they were to have finally found each other.


End file.
